Diaper and shirt clasp



June 20, 1944. F.-s, CLARK 2,352,147

- DIAPER Aum SHIRT CLASP Filed Jan. 1o, 1944 Fil-1227 Afl( %m 10 fg J5 INVENTOR ed Sherwood Clar/1; l

Patented June 20, 1944 y DIAPER -AND SHmT CLASP Fred Sherwood Clark, New York, N. Y., assignor to l Corporation, a corporation of i `miplication January 1o, 1944, serial No. 517,759 6 claims. I(ci. (2l-s1) 1 invention relates `to garment clasps and especially to diaper clasping means for securing a *,babys diaper about the infant and to meansfor attaching the babys diaper to the infants under- Shirt.

-The present device forsecuring a babys diaper in position is the metal safety pin. This has Yalways beenvregarded as .a physical hazard due tothe possibility of accidentally opening the pin with injury to the infant. Moreoverl safety pins have been accidentally swallowed with attendant injuries. YA more recent development is the need for some device of a non-metallic nature to reand therefore rust-proof, sanitary and not-cold v.to the touch, .as is metal; which is preferably vmade of a plastic material; which is sufciently large to prevent-accidentally swallowing the clasp; which may be provided with additional attaching means for securing the diaper to the childs undershirt; and which has a certain nexibility longitudinally'of-the clasp to accommodate varying thicknesses of material.

Additional objects are to provide such a clasp, Vthat is easy to manufacture, inexpensive in cost, and which is suiciently durable to withstand normal strains and wear and tear. Y,

I accomplish these and otherobjects and obu tain my new results as will be apparent from the deviceA described in the following specification,

particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 .is a top plan view of my device. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.. Fig. 3 is la perspective view in open position. y

g Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectionof the device shown in Fig. 1` through the plane 4 4,

with the device open, as in Fig. 3.

' "Fig 5 is a sectional view Vwith the diaper and babys shirt secured to my device, taken through 54-5 of Fig. 8. A

' Fig. 6 is a transverse View through the lock- ;ing'device, of Fig. 5 through plane 6 6.

Fig. 7 is a transverse viewk through the shirt locking means of Fig. 5, through plane '1 -1. 'f' Fig'. 8 illustrates a front view of Vmy ,deviceA in position' oil.'the babys diaper, attached -toA th 4vun'dershirt,"on the side of the baby.

Referring to the drawing reference numerals I0 and II designate a pair of .jaw members pivotally mounted as at I2.l Anyipivoting or bearing arrangement can be used, a hingebeing shown by way of illustration. A button I3, provided with attened heads I4 and I5, and shankl, provides the means for locking the two;-jaw members in position about the babysdiaper.,v

Undershirt attaching-means consist ofy the loop member I'I with central wedge member I8, all pivoted at the commonl hinge I2. Jaw vmember I is slotted as at I9, into which slot, .button I shank I6 is longitudinally` movable. Theslot extends to the hinged vend of jaw member` I0 forming the open portion of U-shaped extending arms 20 and 2| through which, bores 22 and' 2,3 respectively are formed for the hinge 1pin.. |2. The button I3 is insertedvinto the open yslotfli), before assembling of the jawfto the hinge, thereby mounting the button in the slot, the heads',l 4 and I5 of the button being larger than theslot to prevent dislocation. The jaw member I U tierminates in a centrally formed claw 24, which projects at right angles to the jaw member I 0, to insure a good hold on the material inserted between the'jaws. f Y' -f The other jaw membervII is similarly slotted at 25 which slot is widened at the hinged'end. as at 26, to enable the head I4 of the button I3 to be pushed therethrough as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the shank I6, shown in Fig. 4, of sufcie'nt length to permit such insertion'. The widened opening 26 of the slot 25,forms the outer rU- shaped arms 2'I and 28 to extend to the hinge. the arms 20 and 2| tting therein, so that both jaw members can be pivoted at the same hinge pin. Bores 29 and 30 are formed in arms 21 and 28 respectively for this purpose. Jaw member II, terminates in a pair of extending claws, 3| and 32, with a cut-out 33, inbetween to permit claw 24 of jaw memberv I0 to' be positioned therein when the jaw members are locked, with'- suflicient space between claws to permit the material to be caught inbetween.

On the surfaces of the two Y jaw members upon which the heads I4 and I5 of the button I3 rides, special means are provided for locking the button in the closed position. One means consists in forming a shoulder 34 adjacent the enlarged opening 26 of the slotv 25 in jaw member II which prevents the head I4 of the buttonV I3 from falling back into the opening 26. Additionally the outer surface is inclined upwardlyas On the jaw member I0, a seat 36 is provided for keeping the button head I5 in closed position.

A certain resiliency found in` plastic may be present in the jaw members I and II to enable the jaw members to accept fabric of varying thicknesses in the space between the ltwo jaws. 'I'he button is moved to locked position under resilient pressure which together with the seat 36 will maintain the button in position when the jaws are locked.

Between the U-shaped arms 2|! and 2| of the jaw I0 is disposed the loop member I'I, with the two ends of the loop designated as 31 and 38 respectively. These ends are bored as at 39 and 40 to provide pivot support for the hinge I2. The head 4I, of wedge member I8 is similarly provided with a base 42 for the hinge, and extends into the open portion of loop member I7. As seen in the cross-sectioned view of Figs. 5 and 7 the head has a wedging action for forcing the material of the undershirt 43 between the loop II andthe-head 4I, and wedging it securely in position.V jA'smallprojection 44 maybe provided on theedge ofthe head 4I to provide an added lock.

lTh'e loop I'I and wedge member I8 may be omitted from l the construction where only the diaper clasp is desired.

To facilitate the wedging action the legs 33 and "31 oftheloop I'I may be recessed as at 46 and r '4'I `respectively to allow for the thickness of material reaching almost to the hinge. In the wedging action,'the head 4I maybe diamond faced as at 48 (see Fig. 5)v to 'resist removal.

In Fig. 8, the two layers of the diaper 50 are tShown overlapped to secure the diaper in position about the body of the infant, with the shirt there- :of locked thereto.

AThe v`foregoing construction maybe entirely Vmade of plastic material which possesses vthe de- `sire'dydegree of durability combined with a cer- ,tain exibility in the gripping sections to enable the locking means to be applied and secured to .varying thicknesses without injury. The pivoting of Vall lthe parts about a common point makes for a simplicity ofconstruction facility manufacture 1 and reducing` the cost.

In its open position any desired thickness ma- .terial may be inserted therein` without interference from the parts, the button being adjacent 4the pivot. The device is.conveniently locked and opened by action of the thumb, without injury to parts or material.

.The ygarment clasp may beused for avariety of purposes, such as: supporting hose to an elastic strip, trousers to a, shirt as asuspender clasp, etc. Other Ywell known attaching means may be associated with the jaw members and. associated locking means forlthese purposes.

YIhave thus described my invention, but I de- "sire it understood that it is not conned to the tparticular forms or'uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out inother ways withlout departing from the spirit-,of my invention, `an"d,ftherefore, I claim broadly the right to em- -ploy all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope 'of the appended claims, and Vby means of which, objects of my invention are ',attained, and new results accomplished, as it is v'obvioustl'lat the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only somev of the rmany that can'be employed to attain these objects' and 'accomplish'V these results.

What I claim and Patent, is as follows:

1. A garment clasp comprising a pair of pivoted jaw members with pivoting portions and having terminal garment engaging portions and provided between the garment engaging portions andthe pivoting portions with longitudinal slots, a locking button with a shank and a head at each end longitudinally slidably mounted. on one jaw member with its shank extending through the slot thereof and its heads at opposite faces of said jaw member and larger than the slot thereof, the other jaw member having an enlarged opening at the end of the slot adjacent the pivoting portions opposite the slot of said other jaw member for receiving one of the heads of said locking button 'for locking the two jaw members together by movement of the locking button away from the pivoting portions.

2. A garment clasp comprising a pair of pivoted jaw memberswith pivoting portions land having terminal garment engaging portions and provided between the garment engaging portions and the pivoting portions with longitudinalfslots, a locking button with a shank and a head at each end longitudinally slidably mounted on one .jaw member with itsfshank extending through'the slot thereof and its heads at opposite facesof said jaw member and larger than the slot thereof, the other jaw member having an enlarged opening at kthe end of the slot adjacent the-pivoting portions opposite the slot of said othepjaw members for receiving one `of the heads of said locking buttonfor locking the two jaw members together by movement of the locking button away from the pivoting portions, one of said jaw vmembers being provided with a seat arranged to receive one of the heads of said locking button lfor holding the said button in locked position/- 3. AV garment clasp-comprising a pair of pivoted jaw members with pivoting portions -and having terminal garment engaging portionsfan'd provided between the/garment engaging portions and the pivoting portions with longitudinal slots, a locking button with-a shankand a head at each end longitudinally slidably mounted on one jaw member with its shank extending throughthe slot thereof and its heads at opposite facesv of said jaw member and larger than the'slot`=there of, the other jawmember having an enlarged opening at therendof the slot adjacent thev pivoting portions oppositegthe slot of said'otherjaw member for receiving-one of the heads of-*'said locking button for locking the two jaw members together by movement of the locking buttonaway desire to secure by Letters vfrom the pivoting portions, one of the jaw members having a shoulder arranged to be uengaged bysthe button for preventing the buttonl head from entering theA enlarged opening.

4. A garment clasp comprising a pair Cif-.pivoted jaw members with pivoting portions and having terminal garment engaging portions and provided between the garment engaging portions and the pivoting portions with longitudinal slots, a locking button Awith a shank and a head ateach end longitudinally slidably mounted on `one jaw member with its shank extendingy through the slot thereof and its heads at oppositev faces of said jaw member and larger than the slot thereof, the, other jaw member` having an'enlar-ged opening at the end of the slot adjacent thepivoting portions opposite theslot oflsaid-other'jaw memberfor receiving loneof theheads ffsaid locking button. forllocking. the. two jaw; members together by movement of the locking button away from the pivoting portions, one of the jaw members having 4a shoulder arranged to be engaged by the button for preventing the button head from entering the enlarged opening and the other jaw member being provided with a seat arranged to receive one of the heads of the button for holding the button in looked position.

5. A garment clasp comprising two pivoted jaw members, each of said jaw members having a garment engaging portion at one end, means for securing the jaw members in closed position in engagement with a garment, and auxiliary attaching means at the other ends of the jaw members and comprising a looped section carried by one of the jaw members and composed of spaced sides and a transverse portion connecting the outer ends of said sides, and a central section positionable Within the looped section by closing movement of the jaw members, the outer periphery of the central section being spaced from the inner periphery of the looped section to allow material to be placed therebetween and to be wedged therein when the central section enters the looped section. y

6. A garment clasp comprising a pair of pivoted jaw members, each having a garment engaging portion at one end, locking means slidably mounted on one of the jaw members between the pivoted portion thereof and the garment engaging portion for slidable movement longitudinally of said jaw member toward and from said pivoted portion, and cooperating locking means on the other jaw member for locking engagement with the rst mentioned locking means and disengagement therefrom by said sliding movement of said rst mentioned locking means, the jaw'member when unlocked having pivotal movement unrestricted by said locking means FRED SHERWOOD CLARK. 

